Tokomuki he Dixen: A Year at War
by gmsephiroth
Summary: Between joining the enemy and the final assault on the moon base, Nakato had to expirience a year of war. But what happened during that year? Rated PG-13 for voilence. Chapter 4 is up!
1. Enter Dixen!

Tokumuki he Dixen: A Year at War  
  
By Strider Itachi  
  
Disclaimer: Tech Romancer and any related characters do not belong to me. They are property of Capcom. There is no point in suing me since I have no money. So there.  
  
Well, this is my first fic. It's also the first Tech Romancer (known as Kikaioh in Japan) fic on this site. For those of you who don't know what Tech Romancer is (which is probably most of you), it's a 3D mech fighting game made by Capcom. Basically Tech Romancer just borrows ideas from some of Japan's greatest mech animes such as Gundam and the like. It was released originally in Japan in 1998 as an arcade game under the name Kikaioh, and was later released for Dreamcast under the same title. When it came to the States, its title was changed to Tech Romancer. For those of you who get the chance (if you don't own this game already), play it, and if you're lucky, you might just be able to find yourself a copy of the game. It will help you understand my story a little bit better. My story will begin after the fourth stage of the game having selected Dixen as the mech and following Nakato's story. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain.  
  
Dixen is one of the default 8 playable mechs in the game, and once Dixen is selected, you have the choice of following one of two stories, Nakato or Halma's. This story take's place immediately after the fourth stage of the game all the way up to the beginning of the fifth stage. In the story, there is a one-year gap in between these two stages in which you have no idea what happened. That's where I pick up. Also, so you don't feel lost during the story, I'll explain to you what happened in the first four stages. Basically, the story starts with a young boy named Nakato stealing a prototype mech developed by the military during a war. The interesting part about all this is that his father has a very strong influence in the military, and possibly even had the prototype made. Anyway, after stealing it, he runs into one the military's mechs, Wise Duck, which intercepted Nakato, who was in the prototype unit, named Dixen. After the crew of the Wise Duck told him to stop being foolish and return with Dixen to the base, and then Nakato refusing, the battle ensues. After Nakato emerges victorious, he continues to flee former allied territory. He eventually reaches enemy territory, where he runs into an enemy warship. He tells them that he is not an enemy, and that he is being pursued. Shortly thereafter, the Rafaga Corps, which was pursuing Dixen the whole way, suddenly attacks. This is stage two. Now, though, the Rafaga Corps has orders to recover Dixen and kill Nakato if he resisted (which, of course, he did). Nakato wipes out the Rafaga Corps, and then convinces the enemy warship, which was observing nearby, that he is not an enemy. He then comes aboard, becomes part of the ship's crew, and the official pilot of the Super Defense Armor Dixen. Later on, the ship runs into and enemy fleet being led by Shadow Red, the enemy's infamous Ace Pilot. Shadow Red, piloting his custom made Gourai, tries to convince Nakato to return Dixen and go back to his father, but after refusing, Shadow Red attacks with intent to kill Nakato and destroy Dixen. After Shadow Red is defeated, he retreats along with the rest of the enemy units. In the fourth stage, the ship runs into the Rafaga Corps once more, and Nakato is dispatched to take care of the opposition. He doe's so with ease, and then this is where my story starts...

* * *

"Ensign Nakato Farland. Report to the bridge immediately. I repeat, report to the bridge immediately." came the loud voice of the intercom.  
  
Ensign Nakato Farland, who had stolen the prototype Super Defense Armor Dixen, and joined the enemy force's, just to show his hatred of his father, got up from the mess hall table to report to the bridge as instructed. He left his plate almost full.  
  
"You guys can have it..." is all Nakato said to his fellow crewmates as he left for the bridge.  
  
A few minutes later...  
  
"Ensign Nakato Farland reporting for duty." was all Nakato said as he entered the bridge. He received a few stares from some of the people there, but he pretended not to notice.  
  
"Ah, Nakato. You're here. I'll get straight to the point. As you know, we will be arriving at headquarters in the morning. The people upstairs have taken quite an interest in your abilities, Nakato. They were surprised that you were able to defeat the enemy ace pilot, Shadow Red." stated the Captain in an emotionless tone of voice.  
  
Nakato simply nodded at this.  
  
"Additionally, your recent chain of victories against the infamous Rafaga Corps has further sparked their interest in you" continued the Captain. Nakato felt a bit uneasy, but nodded once more.  
  
"I'm not certain what they have planning for you, Nakato, but whatever it is, it more than likely has something to do with Dixen." Once again, Nakato simply nodded.  
  
"With that said, you are dismissed, Nakato."  
  
"Sir!" Nakato then left the bridge to go check up on the status of Dixen. Even though they were deep into allied territory, there was still no telling when the Rafaga Corps might show up, and Nakato wanted to be ready.  
  
"Hey, chief! Is Dixen ready for battle?" Nakato asked the chief technician as he made his way over to Dixen in the large hanger of the combat deck.  
  
"Yeah. Dixen's running at 100%. Though you might want to check the response time on the left arm. I think it was lagging a little behind normal earlier today."  
  
"Ok. I'll take a look at it now." As Nakato opened Dixen's cockpit hatch, one of the bridge's crewmembers came up over the intercom.  
  
"All units remain on standby. Possible enemy sighted. I repeat. All units remain on standby. Also, Dixen is to launch immediately. I repeat. Dixen is to launch immediately." said the voice over the intercom.  
  
"Damn. Why now?" was all Nakato said as he started Dixen up for combat. "No time to get into my pilot suit."  
  
A few minutes later...  
  
"This is Nakato. I'm launching." Dixen charged out of the launch bay at an amazing speed. As he landed he spotted the possible enemy that the bridge crew member had mentioned.  
  
"I recognize those colors anywhere. It's most definatly the Rafaga Corps." Nakato pressed a button on a side panel of Dixen's cockpit.  
  
"This is Nakato. I've spotted the enemy. It's the Rafaga Corps." Nakato said to the captain of the ship through the comlink. "What are my orders, Captain?"  
  
"How many are there?" asked the captain in a rather calmed voice.  
  
"There's more than I thought there'd be. I'd say about 7 Rafagas and...BOOM" came the sound over the receiver.  
  
"Nakato! Nakato, what happened! NAKATO!" shouted the captain. There was no response. Suddenly, explosions throughout various parts of the surrounding area were seen.  
  
"Captain. An enemy coded message is being sent. Should I intercept it?" one of the bridge crewmembers asked.  
  
"Yes. I want to find out what exactly just happened." replied the captain in a panicked voice.  
  
"I'm playing the message now." Suddenly, over the receiver came the message. "This is the Rafaga Corps 24th Unit. Requesting backup. Commander Red, we cannot stop the enemy. G. Kaiser is too strong. Wait...is that...Dixen? It is. Sir, we have spotted Dixen. Dixen is...AHHHHHHHH..." "The message is over sir."  
  
The explosions in the distance suddenly stopped. The captain took the opportunity to call out to Nakato. "Nakato! Nakato, can you hear me! Nakato, respond!" shouted the captain into the comlink.  
  
After a few moments, a voice came over the receiver. "This is Nakato. The situation is clear." The bridge crew sighed in relief.  
  
"Good. Report your status." said the captain coolly, having regained his calm.  
  
"The Rafaga Corps unit has been wiped out. Dixen is undamaged. I spotted another mech here, which attacked the Rafaga Corps. I took the chance to attack the Rafagas while they were busy with him." stated Nakato in a serious tone.  
  
"Another mech?" asked the captain, somewhat surprised.  
  
"Yeah. It's not from an allied fleet though." Nakato responded.  
  
"Well, if it's not an enemy, then there's no threat. Return to the ship immediately." the captain told Nakato.  
  
"Yes sir!" Nakato shouted before he broke off the comlink connection.  
  
Nakato emerged from his cockpit to see a boy around his age standing atop the other mech. "Hey there! What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Junpei Todoroki. How about yours?" asked the boy named Junpei.  
  
"I'm Nakato Farland. It's nice to meet you." Nakato said in a very friendly voice. "That's quite the powerful mech you've got there. What's it called?" asked Nakato.  
  
"This? This mech is the strongest mech in the world. Armor Knight Grand Kaiser!" shouted out Junpei with joy in his voice. "Your mech isn't that bad either though. What's yours called?" asked Junpei with much curiosity.  
  
"This thing? It's the Super Defense Armor, Dixen." stated Nakato.  
  
"Defense?" Junpei then noticed Nakato's uniform. "Are you in the military?" asked Junpei, his tone becoming a little more serious now.  
  
"Not officially, but yes, I am in the military." Nakato was feeling a bit nervous now, since it was clear that Junpei disliked the military.  
  
"Cool. Well, those were some pretty slick moves you used there. I want to fight you someday." Junpei said.  
  
Nakato wasn't quite expecting that response, but replied nonetheless. "Yeah, I'd like to fight you someday too. I hope we meet again someday, Junpei." Nakato stated coolly.  
  
"I'm sure we will Nakato. Until then, it's farewell." Junpei answered with certainty in his voice. He then jumped into the cockpit of G. Kaiser and turned to leave the area.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure we will, Junpei." Nakato murmured. He then reentered Dixen's cockpit and blasted off in the direction of the ship.  
  
About eight minutes later...  
  
"This is Nakato returning to ship." Nakato stated over the comlink.  
  
"Very well. Open the hatch." ordered the captain to one of the bridge members. "That was a job well done Nakato."  
  
"Not really. I only wiped out about 3 Rafagas. G. Kaiser did the rest." Nakato said over the comlink.  
  
"G. Kaiser? You mean to say that the other mech was G. Kaiser?" the captain nearly shouted out in disbelief.  
  
"Yes sir. Is there something wrong?" Nakato asked curiously.  
  
"No, no. It's nothing. Anyway, get some rest, Nakato. We'll be at headquarters tomorrow and you'll have to be up rather early to make up for the time lost in combat." the captain stated in a know-it-all voice.  
  
"Will do, sir." Was all Nakato said before he docked.  
  
As Nakato exited the cockpit, he heard the chief technician shout out to him. "Wow. You're really something else kid. You brought back without a scratch again."  
  
"Just doing the best I can." Nakato told the chief as he left for his quarters. Since he was the only active pilot on the ship, he was the only pilot on the ship to get his own room with all the accommodations of a small apartment. As Nakato entered his quarters, he removed his shirt and jumped into bed, where he would fall asleep and dream of his days back at the academy where his former allies attended with him.  
  
Nakato mumbled a name in his sleep. "Yale..."

* * *

Well. What did you think of chapter one? Did you like it? Anyway. Please Review. Any and all constructive criticism would help me out. After all, this is the first fic I've ever written. I'm also looking for beta readers, so if anyone's interested, e-mail me. Also, for anyone who wants to know about Tech Romancer, but doesn't know where to look, you can e-mail me and I would be more than happy to explain. Remember, anyone e-mailing me about this story should title his or her e-mail 'Tech Romancer'. Otherwise, I'll just delete it. Also, if anyone wants to borrow an idea from my story, fell free to do so, but give me the credit I deserve. Remember! Review my story please!  
  
Thanks for reading, Strider Itachi 


	2. The Invincible Dixen Force!

Tokomuki he Dixen: A Year at War  
  
By Strider Itachi  
  
Disclaimer: Tech Romancer/Kikaioh and any related characters are property of Capcom. They do not belong to me. Also, don't sue me since there would be no point in doing so.  
  
Well, I have received a few of positive reviews. This time I'll pay more attention to the grammar. Also, a certain reviewer brought up two interesting points that I'll explain at the end. Since I DID actually get reviews, I will continue to write this story. I'll keep the intro short this time. So on to the story!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Invincible Dixen Force!!!  
  
'Yale! I aced the pilot exam! What do you think?' asked a young Nakato with glee in his voice.  
  
'I was observing you. You definatly have potential. You got the highest scores in the class.' an equally young blond-haired girl, who's name was apparently Yale, responded. 'You did better than me by only a few points.'  
  
'Cool! Ha ha ha ha ha.' the young Nakato laughed as he hopped down the hall of the pilot academy full of joy.

* * *

"Ensign Nakato Farland!" shouted someone through his door.  
  
"What?" Nakato responded, obviously annoyed by the person who interrupted his dream.  
  
"We have to report to headquarters immediately. In addition, the Vice Admiral has requested to see you personally. We can't keep him waiting!" the person shouted once more.  
  
"I'll be out in a minute. Just let me get up." replied Nakato, still obviously annoyed. Once he was up, he quickly brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and put on his uniform. He didn't bother to take a shower since he wouldn't have any time. He looked at the clock, and realized it was already 7:10 a.m. This indicated he was behind schedule.  
  
"Finally, you're out." the captain told Nakato in a somewhat anxious voice. "Let's go, we're late as we speak."  
  
"Yes sir." Nakato replied. It was apparent to the captain that Nakato was depressed about something. He didn't bother asking since he didn't want to be distracted from his meeting with the all-important Vice Admiral.  
  
After having walked down a long series of halls with every kind of person from every nationality to be seen, they finally reached a narrow corridor with a high security lock. As the captain walked up to the guards, he began speaking with one of them. Nakato couldn't make out what they were saying, and he didn't seem to care either.  
  
"Nakato! Come on, hurry up! We're already 10 minutes late!" the captain shouted out to Nakato. Nakato simply nodded and ran over to where the captain was.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity of walking down empty corridors, the captain and Nakato had reached one door. Next to the door was standing a rather old looking man.  
  
"Ah, Vice Admiral Johnson. How nice to see you again after all these years." the captain told the old man.  
  
"Well captain, is this the one?" asked the Vice Admiral.  
  
"Yes, he is." the captain replied in a very serious tone.  
  
"I've heard much about you, Nakato Farland. Your father must be very angry right now. Having lost his prized weapon and his son on the same day." the Vice Admiral said coolly as he walked up to Nakato. Nakato tensed.  
  
"Now, now. Don't get so edgy. I wanted to meet you for two reasons. First, I would like to officially enlist you in the military, and promote you to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Secondly, I will be assigning you to a special task force that was just founded. I'll fill you in on the details as we go." the Vice Admiral said once more with calm in his voice.  
  
"Go?" asked Nakato, who was surprised by the Vice Admiral's words.  
  
"Yes. I will be taking the both of you to a secret warehouse in an underground section of this base. It is the most heavily guarded room in the entire facility right now. Anyway, we obtained the data extracted from Dixen's main computer, and accessed all of the blueprints, weapons operating system information, and various other important pieces of data which we used to create two prototype machines based on the original Dixen design. I'll tell you more once we get there." the Vice Admiral said as the three walked down to a rather new looking hall. After having passed about 15 security checks, they were within a large warehouse, and to the left could be seen two machines strongly resembling Dixen.  
  
"Gentlemen, may I present to you Dixen Red Armor and Dixen Mk. II. These are the result of our extensive testing and experimentation with the original Dixen data." the Vice Admiral said excitingly as Nakato and the captain looked on in amazement.  
  
"Gentlemen, first, I will explain the Dixen Red Armor. The Dixen Red Armor is basically an exact copy of the original Dixen, except with a red-orange paint job where the original Dixen was blue. That means there isn't much to explain about this one. However, the Dixen Mk. II, on the other hand, is our own creation. It has basically the weapons system, but the weapons themselves, have been upgraded to create the combat marvel you see before you. This Dixen, which we called the Super Offense Armor, rather than defense, boasts higher thruster capacity, upgraded weapons and tripled overall performance. Also, the armor is colored black, as you can see, and the headpiece has green lights on it. Which means, that the Dixen Mk. II was designed to fight during both the day and the night without a reduction in effectiveness." the Vice Admiral continued as if anxious to say something else.  
  
"Finally. Nakato, I will be assigning you to a special task force, which for now will be called the Dixen Force. You yourself will be piloting the original Dixen, while two other pilots from another fleet will be piloting the other two machines. Also, captain, your ship will be the ship to which this task force will be assigned." The Vice Admiral sighed, as if finally having gotten something important off his chest. Nakato and the captain stood in utter bewilderment as they stared at the two new machines that stood before them.  
  
"Vice Admiral Johnson! The two pilots from the 3rd fleet are here!" a worker from the factory informed the Vice Admiral.  
  
"Alright. Bring them in." the Vice Admiral commanded.  
  
"Yes sir." the worker responded before leaving to some other area of the warehouse.  
  
"Now, Nakato, you will meet your fellow teammates in the Dixen Force." the Vice Admiral told Nakato confidently.  
  
Suddenly from behind a door emerged two military officers being escorted in the Vice Admiral's direction. Nakato could tell that one of them was an Ensign.  
  
"Sir. Lieutenant Commander Joseph Frias reportining for duty!" one of the two men said.  
  
"Sir. Ensign David Riego reporting for duty!" the other one said.  
  
"At ease." replied the Vice Admiral. While the Lieutenant Commander did indeed ease up, the Ensign remained tense around the Vice Admiral.  
  
"Joseph, David, I would like you to meet Nakato Farland. He will be your teammate from now on. Now, if you all would excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend. Goodbye." the Vice Admiral said before he turned around to leave.  
  
"Sir!" replied Joseph, David, and the captain at the same time. Joseph then turned around and tried to greet Nakato, but Nakato, who was staring at the new Dixen models, seemed to be in a world of his own...

* * *

'Alright. All of you get into your assigned simulation pods. We will begin the exam shortly.' said a tall man to the group of trainees.  
  
'I'm gonna beat you again, Yale. Nobody in this class can beat me. Ha ha ha!' yelled out a young Nakato.  
  
'I don't really care about simulations. It's not until you experience real combat that you can truly evaluate your skills as a pilot. These simulations are nothing but games used to prepare you for the real thing. But the real thing is much different from this.' Yale answered without emotion. Nakato went silent and suddenly the tall man began yelling out his name.

* * *

"NAKATO!!!" Joseph yelled unexpectedly which caused Nakato to come back to his senses.  
  
"Yes, Commander Joseph!" Nakato suddenly responded.  
  
"Well, I finally got through to you. I was just trying to introduce myself when you zoned out. Anyway, you already know who I am, and we don't exactly have time to chat. So I'll get straight to the point. Since I'm a Lieutenant Commander, and you're a Lieutenant JG, that means that I am officially the leader of the Dixen Force. Got that?" Joseph told Nakato in a cocky yet serious voice.  
  
"Yes sir!" replied Nakato.  
  
"Good, then now that that's out of the way. We already have our first assignment. We are to rendezvous with an allied ship and successfully escort it to the Eastern Branch headquarters. We are to expect attacks from the Rafaga Corps. So I guess I'll meet you in your ships launch bay tomorrow morning after we take off. Is that clear?" asked Joseph in a serious, commanding voice.  
  
"Yes sir!" replied Nakato once more.  
  
"Also, I will be piloting the Dixen Mk. II, while David over here will be piloting the Red Dixen. So now that everything's cleared up, I guess I'll see you tomorrow.  
  
Nakato silently walked back to the ship, thinking of nothing in particular except the mission objectives relayed to him by Lt. Commander Joseph.  
  
Nakato went into his room, and in a similar fashion to the night before, he simply took off his shirt, hopped into his bed, and went to sleep. He continued to dream the same dream.  
  
Violent shaking waked Nakato up. He quickly put on his pilot suit and went to the launch deck.  
  
"Hey Nakato! Where have you been? We've been in battle for about 20 minutes now." one of the technicians shouted at Nakato.  
  
"I dozed off I guess. What's the situation?" Nakato asked as he prepared to launch.  
  
"Well, the Rafaga Corps launched a surprise attack on headquarters. We had Lieutenant Commander Joseph and Ensign David launch in the two new Dixen's. David's wiped out 3 Rafagas, while Joseph took out 20 already." the technician replied.  
  
"20!!! That's incredible!" Nakato responded in disbelief.  
  
"I know. But he is our forces number 1 ace pilot, so it's to be expected. Now launch! There's still 17 Rafagas to take care of." the technician told Nakato before Nakato closed the cockpit and proceeded to the launch pad.  
  
"Lieutenant JG Nakato Farland, launching." said Nakato into the newly installed receiver inside his cockpit.  
  
Nakato landed next to about 13 Rafagas that were either destroyed or damaged beyond repair. He increased the thrusters to maximum output and flew over to the battle zone where his teammates were. As he landed, a voice came over his receiver.  
  
"Hey Nakato, what took ya?" asked Joseph through the receiver.  
  
"I overslept. Sorry sir." Nakato responded shamefully.  
  
"Don't sweat it. Just cover me." Joseph ordered Nakato.  
  
"Got it. I'll watch your back, sir." Nakato said as he pulled out Dixen's missile launcher.  
  
"Alright. I have my sights on their last squad. Let me just aim this thing..." Joseph said as he pulled out Dixen Mk. II's Hyper Fixer Cannon. Out of nowhere a Rafaga bursted out and was about to shoot the Dixen Mk. II, but luckily enough, Nakato managed to slice the Rafaga in half with his beam saber before it could attack.  
  
"Thanks Nakato. I finally got this thing aimed. Hyper Fixer Cannon...FIRE!" shouted Joseph as the Dixen Mk. II fired a huge cannon burst that wiped out 16 Rafagas.  
  
"Amazing..." whispered Nakato to himself. "That was great sir!" Nakato told Joseph through the receiver.  
  
"It was nothing." replied Joseph as he started to head back to the ship. "No use staying here. Let's go back to the ship. We have a mission to complete."  
  
"Right!" replied Nakato and David simultaneously.  
  
At the ship...  
  
"It's confirmed sir. Ensign David Riego wiped out 3 units, Lieutenant JG Nakato Farland wiped out 1 unit, and Lieutenant Commander Joseph Frias wiped out 36 units. That makes the 40 units we counted." a young girl told the captain of the ship.  
  
"OK Cheng-Ming. Open the hatch for the pilots to reenter the ship. We have to complete our mission ASAP." the captain told the young girl.  
  
"Very well sir."  
  
Back at the battle site...  
  
"Sir...this is the Rafaga Corps 4th speaking...we couldn't stop them...they...they...are...in...vin...ci...ble..." The Commander of the Rafaga Corps 4th unit died.  
  
End of Chapter 2

* * *

Well. Did you like it. I sincerely hope you did. Anyway, a reviewer brought up two interesting points in his review. a) The reviewer said that there was no indication that Yale and Nakato knew each other in the game's story. That, my friend, is wrong. If by the third stage of the game you have met certain conditions, you will get the chance to play an alternate 2nd half of the game, in which instead of fighting the girl in the Rafaga, then Yale in the Quvearl, and finally Shadow Red in the Gourai, you fight Yale in the Gamda, then Yale in the Quvearl, and finally Shadow Red in an upgraded Dixen. In this alternate story, you find out that Nakato and Yale did in fact know each other and met when they were in an academy for training pilots. So there.  
  
b) I totally forgot about Cheng-Ming. Sorry man. I added her in this chapter though. And she'll be in the rest of the story. So cool down.  
  
Anyway, please review. That will keep me motivated to write more chapters. Remember, constructive criticism always helps out.  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Strider Itachi 


	3. Faltering Dixen!

Tokomuki he Dixen: A Year at War  
  
By Strider Itachi  
  
Well. This is the third chapter in my story. Sorry it took a while to post it. I got complicated and couldn't post it on time, with work and all that other business. I mean, you've got to make money, right? So anyway, I hope all you readers liked chapter 2. I plan to continue this story for quite a while, so, I needed to add something to make the story longer. Anyway, for those of you still reading my story, thanks for your interest. Now on to the story.

* * *

Chapter 3: Eastern Escort  
  
"Captain Baits. I need to speak to you." Said Joseph from bridge entrance.  
  
"Yes, what is it, Lieutenant Commander?" asked the captain, wondering what Lieutenant Commander Joseph Frias could have possibly wanted to speak to him about.  
  
"It's about Nakato. Are you sure we can trust him, sir. I mean, he did come from the enemy. He could be a spy. You can never be too careful. He's just a rookie pilot, and yet every time he fought the Rafaga Corps, he always came back without so much as a scratch. Also, I doubt that with his skills he could defeat Shadow Red, the enemy ace pilot. It all seems suspicious to me." Joseph told the captain calmly.  
  
"I understand how you fell, but there is no need to worry. Nakato is a trustworthy fellow. You just worry about completing our next mission for now. Well be at the rendezvous point at about 0400 hours. That's in 35 minutes. So be ready for anything." The captain replied calmly.  
  
"Yes sir! I'll be on my way." Joseph said once more before turning to leave for the launch bay. 'I still think that Nakato is a spy.'  
  
"Hey Lieutenant Commander. When will we be rendezvousing with the ship?" asked Nakato in a serious tone.  
  
"Not too long Nakato. Just be ready for the worst when we get there. You never know when the enemy might attack." Replied Joseph in a commanding tone. "Oh, and lighten up will you. You can get serious on the battlefield, but you'll turn into an old man pretty quick if you're serious all the time. Enjoy life a little more. OK?" Joseph said in a cheerful voice.  
  
"If you say so, sir." Nakato replied, taking Joseph's advice and relaxing a little bit.  
  
"Now, I'll see you when it's time to launch." Joseph said before he left.  
  
"You got it, sir." Nakato replied one last time before heading for his quarters. "Ensign David! Are you ready to launch?" asked Joseph as he entered the launch bay.  
  
"Yes sir! How about Nakato?" asked the rookie pilot.  
  
"He's just taking a break. Don't worry about him." Replied Joseph.

* * *

'Nakato. It seems that you beat me again. You truly are the academy's best.' Yale told Nakato quite cheerfully. Nakato blushed at this.  
  
'It was nothing really. I just tried my best.' Replied Nakato nervously.  
  
'If you try your best on the battlefield, I'm sure that you'll have no trouble at all against the enemy.' Yale said, still cheerful in her speech.  
  
'You really think so, Yale?' Nakato asked curiously.  
  
'I know so.' Yale responded. Nakato then woke up from his dream.

* * *

"Ah man. I keep having those dreams. Geez. What could it mean?" Nakato asked himself before he heard knocking on the door. "What is it?"  
  
"Hey, are you ready? We're launching in 5 minutes." Someone's voice came from the other side of the door. Nakato guessed it was Joseph.  
  
"I'll be there. Let just put my pilot suit on." Nakato replied.  
  
"Well, hurry up. Don't be late like last time. Even though we didn't need you much, you're still a part of this team." The voice said.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you at the launch bay." Nakato said, getting a little annoyed.  
  
"Gotcha. I'll see you there." The voice said, and then there was silence. Nakato put on his pilot suit and left for the launch bay.  
  
3 minutes later...  
  
"I'm here. When do we launch?" Nakato asked a technician in the launch bay.  
  
"You launch in a minute. The Lieutenant Commander will launch now. Then you launch, and finally the Ensign will launch. So be ready." The technician said.  
  
"You got it." Nakato replied before he closed the cockpit hatch. 'All of the systems seem to be working properly. Fixer Cannon operational. Beam Saber operational. All systems go. Alright, I'm ready to launch.' Nakato thought to himself.  
  
"Nakato. Are you ready to launch?" asked a voice that came up over the receiver.  
  
"Roger. Do I launch now?" Nakato asked, obviously ready for battle.  
  
"Negative. You are to launch immediately after the Lieutenant Commander. He was delayed, though, due to some problem with the Beam Gun. He'll be heading out once the problem is fixed, so sit tight." The voice responded.  
  
"Roger that." Nakato replied before he lay back and waited for the Lieutenant Commander to launch in his Dixen Mk. II. Nakato was rather jealous that Lieutenant Commander Joseph got the Dixen Mk. II, even though he is a superior officer. Nakato just sighed and waited.  
  
About a minute and a half later...  
  
"Nakato, the Lieutenant Commander is launching, so be ready." The voice came over the receiver once more.  
  
"Roger that. I'm ready." Nakato replied as he got prepped up for combat, even though they might not see combat at all during this mission.  
  
"Joseph Frias, launching!" came the voice over the receiver as the Lieutenant Commander launched.  
  
"Nakato, move Dixen up to the launching pad." Said the voice in the receiver.  
  
"You don't have to tell me, I know." Nakato responded.  
  
"Very well then. Launch. Good luck." Said the voice.  
  
"Cheng Ming, you know I don't need luck. It's all skill." Nakato said in a cocky voice. "I'm launching."  
  
Dixen then sped out of the launch bay. He landed next to 3 ships, which were supposedly the ships they were escorting. The third Dixen finally launched out of the ship.  
  
"All right. Now that were all here, I'm going to explain to you in greater detail our mission. We are to escort these three ships to our eastern front headquarters. Until then we are to keep an eye out for any attackers. Unfortunately, all of their mechs were damaged in their previous sortie, and currently cannot be repaired or sent out to fight. That's why we're here. We have to defend them until we reach the target point, which is at our Eastern Division Headquarters. Of course, it takes quite a while for us to reach Eastern Division Headquarters, so prepare for the long haul. We have to stay in our machines from now till 0700 tomorrow." Joseph explained rather casually.  
  
"What? That's about fifteen hours! Ah man." David complained. "Deal with it. We have to complete our mission at all costs." Nakato said in response to David's complaint.  
  
"Besides, this will be good training for you. You have no idea how short an operation this is. I was once in an operation that lasted 7 days straight. We had to carry 7 days worth of rations with us, because we couldn't get out of our machines until then. So sit tight, ensign, and enjoy the cockpit." Joseph also responded to the complaint. "Now, get serious, men. We have a mission to complete, and we have to give the ships we're escorting the OK to continue. Lets spread and search for enemy machines."  
  
"Yes sir!" David and Nakato said in unison. As the three Dixens began searching, they turned up nothing, and sent the signal to the ships signaling them to continue.  
  
Five hours later...  
  
"It's nighttime already? This is going by faster that I thought it would!" Joseph stated over the receiver. "Not a single enemy unit, either."  
  
"Don't get too confident, Lieutenant Commander. We still have ten hours till the target point, and that's if we don't run into enemy units." Nakato replied seriously.  
  
"Oh, by the way, once this mission is out of the way, I'll be a commander, just in case you didn't know." Joseph responded confidently.  
  
"Well, lets just hope you even get to become one." Nakato replied coolly to that statement.  
  
"Hey! What do you take me for, an amateur?" Joseph responded, slightly irritated.  
  
"I'm hungry." Complained David out of nowhere.  
  
"Deal with it! You should have brought some rations!" Joseph and Nakato replied in unison. Suddenly, an unknown machine hit one of the sides of ship farthest from the Dixens.  
  
"Damn! I was hoping we would get to finish this mission without need for combat. Nakato, get into position. David, you follow me. Nakato, remember, if you bite into more than you can chew, tell me over the receiver. I'll assist you. Let's move out Dixen Force!" Joseph said very quickly.  
  
"Roger!" David and Nakato replied in unison once more. Dixen Mk. II blasted off to the where he believed the first shot came from. When he arrived he found nothing.  
  
"David. You go back and help Nakato. I have a feeling that he's in danger." Joseph said to David before a voice suddenly came over the receiver.  
  
"This is Nakato. I need assistance. There are about ten Rafagas and a Wise Duck. I need help now!" Nakato said in a desperate voice over the receiver.  
  
"Let's go David! We have to hurry!" Joseph yelled into the receiver as he sped off to where they left Nakato.  
  
"Roger that!" David replied instinctively.  
  
Back at the battle...  
  
'Damn. The Rafagas are hunting me. The Wise Duck probably stayed and started assaulting the ships.' Nakato thought as he dashed around the forest that was nearby. 'This can't hide me forever, either. I have to think of something.'

* * *

"This is Rafaga 4. Rafaga 1, come in." One of the Rafaga pilots said over his comlink.  
  
"This is Rafaga 1. What is it?" Another Rafaga pilot responded.  
  
"I think that we should go back. If we go too far, we may not be able to get back in time. There are two other Dixen units from what we heard, and it won't take them long to figure out that was just a lure to draw them away from the ships." Rafaga 4 commented.  
  
"You're right. But we can't allow this one to escape either. OK. I want Rafagas 3, 5, 7, and 9 to come with me. Rafagas 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 return to assist the Wise Duck. Move out." Rafaga 1 commanded. The Rafagas separated as instructed.

* * *

'They stopped for a minute. I can take advantage of this and formulate a plan.' Nakato thought as he too stopped and placed his fixer cannon on the ground around a group of trees. He also positioned his aiming satellites, we he has only used occasionally, behind rocks. Now he was ready to attack. 'Hopefully this will nail at least most of them. That way, I can take care of the rest of them without much of a hassle. These pilots are much more organized than the rest of them. OK, here they come.' Nakato braced himself for battle.

* * *

"Something isn't right here. I think the enemy is watching us." Rafaga 1 said over his comlink to the other Rafagas that were with him. "Everyone, be on guard."  
  
"Yes sir." The 4 other Rafaga pilots replied. Suddenly, beams came in from all directions.  
  
"Everyone! Evade!" Rafaga 1 shouted out, but to no avail. Only Rafaga 3 had managed to dodge along with him. The other three Rafagas were shot down. "Damn."

* * *

'I only got three of them.' Nakato thought as he sped out behind the remaining Rafagas. He jumped out from behind the trees and slashed one Rafaga in half. The other one managed to dodge again. 'This guys good. I'll have to be careful around him.' The Rafaga jumped up above Nakato and shot a large number of missiles at Nakato. Nakato evaded effortlessly. The Rafaga shot out with his rifle, forcing Nakato to use his shield. 'Damn, the shields down to 75 percent already. This can't be good. That must be the shell gun I heard about a while back. It's supposed to have armor piercing properties. Maybe they decided to put it into effect and equipped it on the Rafagas. Hopefully this battle won't be drawn out, or I may not survive.'  
  
The Rafaga fired another shell gun. Nakato evaded, and continued to flee into the forest. The temperature outside began to drop drastically. It had begun snowing. Nakato was too busy with the Rafaga to notice the snow. Nakato turned around and noticed the Rafaga was gone.  
  
'Where did it go?' Nakato asked himself. He began to frantically search in all directions, fearing that he would be shot down on his first mission. A shot was fired from above Nakato. Nakato caught sight of it, but it was too late to dodge or block. Dixen's arm was blown straight off. 'Damn! The Rafaga activated it's plane mode.'  
  
The Rafaga transformed back to normal mode and proceeded to kick Dixen, sending it flying back. Nakato could not believe the skill of the enemy pilot, despite him being in a technologically inferior machine.  
  
'He's to good for me.' The Rafaga walked up to Dixen, and pointed its rifle at Dixen's cockpit. 'This is it. I'm a goner.' Nakato thought as he braced himself for the worst.  
  
End of Chapter 3

* * *

Cliffhanger! I hope you don't hate me for doing that. Anyway. That's it for chapter 3. I hoped you all enjoyed it. I suppose that at this point all I can say is please review. I continue to receive positive reviews, and I hope it stays that way. Thanks for you interest in my story.  
  
Thank you for reading!  
  
Strider Itachi 


	4. Dixen's Deadly Encounter!

Tokomuki he Dixen: A Year at War  
  
By Strider Itachi  
  
Well, my fourth chapter. I have been receiving many positive reviews thus far, so I'll keep writing. I'm planning on completing this fic before I move on and start a new one. I hoping to get more reviews and attract more readers, which might be difficult since (at least where I live) not a single person has even heard of Tech Romancer/Kikaioh, much less played it. Even so, I sincerely hope that I attract more readers to my fic. Thanks for reading! On to the story.

* * *

Chapter 4: Deadly Encounters  
  
The Rafaga walked up to Dixen, and pointed its rifle at Dixen's cockpit. 'This is it. I'm a goner.' Nakato thought as he braced himself for the worst.

* * *

"Lieutenant Commander, are you sure you don't need my help?" asked Ensign David Riego through his receiver. He was combating the Heavy Armor Tank, Wise Duck, as Lieutenant Commander Joseph Frias tackled five Rafagas. The situation seemed hopeless. And Nakato was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Don't worry about me, you just worry about protecting those ships. It doesn't matter if we live or die. That ship is carrying something vital that must be taken to Eastern Front Headquarters at all costs. Even if it costs us our lives, it is our job to ensure that those ships reach their destination." The Lieutenant Commander replied as he slashed through 2 Rafagas with his lengthened beam saber. The remaining Rafagas stopped momentarily, and the Lieutenant Commander took advantage of the fact and shot another in the head with his beam gun, effectively disabling it. The remaining two Rafagas started moving again, in a more advanced formation. One transformed into plane mode, while the other remained on the ground.  
  
"Lieutenant Commander, the Wise Duck seems to have run out of ammunition. It can no longer attack the ships. What should I do?" asked David through the receiver.  
  
"Destroy it, then come over here and help me out. I'm having enough trouble just dodging these attacks. This Rafaga team is far superior to any I've ever faced. It must be a special unit or something." The Lieutenant Commander replied very seriously.  
  
"Roger that. Hold out until I can get there Lieutenant Commander." David said as he dashed forward in an attempt to deliver the coup de grace to the diminished Wise Duck.

* * *

The crew of the Wise Duck, the Rodriguez team, realizing they no longer have any hope of survival, activated the Wise Duck's self-destruct system, and sat back awaiting their deaths. They opened one last bottle of whiskey that was stashed away and calmly drank until they would be destroyed. Suddenly, as the last drop from the bottle was emptied, the Wise Duck exploded just as the enemy Dixen was about to attack. A large explosion engulfed much of the area around Dixen and the Wise Duck. Dixen was miraculously not destroyed due to its intact armor, but it was weakened to the state in which it could no longer fight.

* * *

"Lieutenant Commander, I can no longer continue the fight. The Wise Duck was destroyed, but Dixen was severely damaged. I have to return to ship." David stated as his Dixen retreated to the ship.  
  
"I understand. But it's going to be tough beating these two." Joseph replied as the Rafaga in the air shot a barrage of missiles at his Dixen Mk. II. He barely avoided that along with the rifle shot from the other Rafaga on the ground. 'Damn. Its one or the other, but either way I'm going to take some damage. Oh well, it can't be helped. Better than dying, anyway.' Joseph thought as he formulated a quick tactic in his head. One of the Rafagas came swooping down for another missile attack.  
  
"Anti-air Fixer Cannon!" Joseph yelled as he fired his Fixer Cannon at the incoming Rafaga in the air. Unable to dodge at the velocity it was going at, it was destroyed mid-air by the cannon. The other Rafaga made it's shot, but only managed to hit the Fixer Cannon with which the Dixen Mk. II was firing. The Fixer Cannon was knocked away, damaged by the rifle shot.  
  
"I've got you!" Joseph yelled as he dashed forward as fast as Dixen Mk. II could possibly go with beam saber in hand. As he slashed, the Rafaga jumped into the air, transformed into its plane mode, and sped off towards the south.  
  
"The pilot must of realized he could no longer win. I guess its over for now." And then it hit him. "Nakato! He isn't here. Where is he?" Joseph asked himself and signaled for Nakato to respond.

* * *

Just as the Rafaga was about to fire it's rifle, it caught glimpse of the Rafaga flying overhead. This was all that Nakato needed to retaliate. He used his beam saber and slashed at the Rafaga, attempting to slash it in half. Unfortunately, he only managed to get the arm. The Rafaga transformed into plane mode and sped off to the south with the other Rafaga before Nakato had time to do anything else.  
  
"If not for the other Rafaga, I'd be dead right now. I guess I should thank that pilot sometime. I need to get back to ship." Nakato then noticed a light blink on the control panel. "Lieutenant Commander Joseph is trying to contact me." Nakato clicked a button and spoke into the receiver. "This is Nakato. What's the situation?" Nakato asked, still calming down from the shock of almost losing his life.  
  
"Are you alright? Did you make it out OK?" Joseph's voice came over the receiver.  
  
"Yeah, I'm OK. Dixen lost an arm though." Nakato replied, as if he had lost the battle.  
  
"Do you need any help getting back?" Joseph asked. "No, I can do it on my own." Nakato responded seriously.  
  
"Roger that. I'll wait for you near the ship then." Joseph said, uninterested.  
  
"Roger." Nakato said as he sped off towards the ships location.

* * *

As the two Rafagas sped south towards their assigned base, they spoke very seriously.  
  
"Why were you retreating, Amuritta?" asked the pilot of the damaged Rafaga.  
  
"There was no way I was going to beat that machine on my own, Simon. And the pilot was no joke, either." Amuritta replied.  
  
"I could have gotten that Dixen, but you distracted me! How am I going to explain that to headquarters? And how am I going to explain how the Wise Duck and eight Rafagas were wiped out? And we couldn't take out a single unit!" asked Simon angrily.  
  
"Don't take out your frustrations on me, Simon. It won't do you any good." Amuritta stated calmly.  
  
"That's easy for you to say!" Simon yelled as the two Rafagas sped further south towards their destination.

* * *

As Nakato reached the ship, he was ordered to dock for repairs.  
  
"Nakato, get some rest for now. Lieutenant Commander Joseph is the only one capable of protecting the ships, since the main unit took no damage. All he lost was his Fixer Cannon." Cheng-Ming's voice came over the receiver.  
  
"He's really something else, that Joseph. How could he do all that and come out unscathed?" asked him self, though Cheng-Ming thought the question was directed at her.  
  
"Well, he is an ace pilot. You are years below him when it comes to experience. But don't worry, Nakato. You'll be as good as him one day. Maybe even better." Cheng-Ming replied, trying to cheer up the obviously depressed Nakato. "Just get some rest, Nakato. You've had a long day." Cheng-Ming said once more.  
  
"Roger that." Was what Nakato said as he docked, and proceeded to go to his quarters, where he would sleep, tortured by recurring nightmares of his deadly encounter with the Rafaga.  
  
The next morning...  
  
"Nakato." Come the voice over the receiver. Nakato slowly stirred out of his sleep. He hadn't slept much at all. He only got around two or three hours of sleep due to his nightmares. "What is it?" Nakato asked groggily. He was still really sleepy.  
  
"We've arrived at the base. Do you want to keep sleeping?" asked the voice.  
  
"Yeah. Just a little while longer." Nakato said as he drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Looks like he's out. Oh well, I have to go get promoted now, so you can look after him. I'll see you later." Joseph told David as he walked off in the direction of the exit to Eastern Front Headquarters. He was to report to the Captain, and accompany him to the designated office, where he would be officially promoted. Nakato was also supposed to be promoted to a Lieutenant, but Joseph decided it was better to let him sleep. After all, rank means nothing in the heat of battle. Joseph saw Captain Baits waiting for him. "I'm here, Captain Baits." Joseph said as he walked out of the ship and met up with the captain of the ship.  
  
"Ah, Joseph. I was waiting for you. Where's Nakato?" Captain Baits asked curiously.  
  
"He was sleeping. I didn't want to wake him up. Besides, he can get promoted later. We're supposed to be here until tomorrow morning for repairs and supplies, right?" Joseph stated factually.  
  
"Yes, I suppose there wouldn't be any harm in letting him sleep a little while longer. We need you all at your best. You never know when the bothersome Rafaga Corps might attack." Captain Baits said, laughing after the he did.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so. Anyway, lets go get me promoted!" Joseph yelled out, attracting the attention of some of the people around him.  
  
"Yes, lets do that." The captain responded. The two men walked off into the building, talking of the Dixen and its latest sortie.

* * *

'Hey Yale, so your graduating too?' asked Nakato with glee in his eyes.  
  
'That's right. I'm second in this year's class. Starting tomorrow, we're all official pilots. Isn't that right, Nakato?' asked Yale cheerfully.  
  
'Yeah. I'm at the top of the class. I'm the best!' Nakato yelled out. He got a few angry stares, and a few happy ones too.  
  
'You always were a show-off. You get more serious, or you'll be shot down one day.' Yale said, still in a cheerful, but more serious voice.  
  
'Ah, you always put me down like that, Yale.' Nakato said, half-depressed. Yale began laughing along with the majority of the graduating class.

* * *

Nakato opened his eyes and realized he was in his room. "I've been having those dreams again. I suppose it beats nightmares, though." Nakato said to thin air. Nakato got up, and took a shower. He got into his uniform, and he went out the door. He saw David talking to Cheng-Ming in the hallway. "Hey you two, what's going on?" Nakato asked the two.  
  
"Oh hey, Nakato. I was just waiting for you to get up. The Lieutenant Commander was going to take with him. You're supposed to get promoted to Lieutenant." David said as a voice came from around the corner.  
  
"That's Commander to you, Ensign. Show a little more respect." The voice said, as Joseph came around the corner. David saluted upon hearing this.  
  
"Yes sir, sorry sir!" David said instinctively, feeling nostalgic as he remembered his days at the academy with the drill sergeant.  
  
"No need to be so formal. It's just an official title, which means a raise in how much I make. That'll help after this war is over." Joseph said. He took a certificate that was in his hand and gave it to Nakato. "This is for you, Lieutenant." Joseph said as he turned to leave for the hangar to check up on the progress on the Fixer Cannon that was destroyed during his fight with the Rafagas. Nakato looked at the certificate.  
  
"This is..." Nakato said, reading the certificate carefully. David and Cheng- Ming, obviously interested, walked over and looked at the certificate as well. "This is an official promotion to Lieutenant." Nakato finally said as he went back into his quarters to put it away.  
  
"Wow, Nakato was promoted to Lieutenant. I wish I could have been promoted." David said to no one in particular. He then sighed.  
  
"That's what you get for having your unit damage to a level in which you could not continue combat. The people upstairs aren't going to promote you for losing." Cheng-Ming said as she chuckled.  
  
"Hey, it's not my fault. How was I supposed to know it was going to self- destruct?" David shouted out, with an its-not-fair voice.  
  
"Deal with it. It could happen to any of us. It's common strategy to do something the enemy isn't going to expect. Self-destructing is more than likely one of those things. You'll just have to deal with it and move on. Instead of complaining, you should be happy you got away with your life." Nakato said in a serious tone as he emerged from his quarters.  
  
"I guess you're right." David said, followed by yet another sigh.  
  
"Well, I have to get back to the bridge for my shift. See you guys later." Cheng-Ming said as she walked off towards the elevator that would take her to the bridge. "I'm off to check on Dixen. Are you coming?" Nakato asked David.  
  
"Yeah. I guess so." David replied reluctantly.  
  
"Then lets go." Nakato said coolly. The two walked silently to the hanger.

* * *

"Hey, is the Fixer Cannon ready yet?" Joseph asked a technician in the hanger.  
  
"Yes sir. It's ready to go. We just need to give it some juice so it you can use it." The technician replied. Joseph then noticed that Nakato and David were walking down into the hanger.  
  
"Hey you two. What's up?" Joseph asked curiously.  
  
"I just came to check on Dixen." Nakato replied, uninterested.  
  
"I see. Well, the arm has already been replaced. They're just synchronizing it with the system so that it'll run the same as before." Joseph said, obviously already having checked on Nakato's Dixen as well.  
  
"Oh. OK." Nakato said as he watched the technicians work on his Dixen.  
  
"How about mine?" David asked anxiously.  
  
"Yours still isn't ready for combat, so don't get too excited." Joseph replied.  
  
"Ah man." David complained.  
  
"Hey, you two. Let's go eat something. It's a little past twelve o' clock and none of us have eaten anything if I'm not mistaken." Joseph said to the two rookie pilots. Suddenly, their stomachs began growling.  
  
"Sounds good." Nakato and David replied in unison. The three pilots walked off towards the mess hall for a nice meal.  
  
End Chapter 3

* * *

Did you all like it? I hope you did. Sorry it took awhile to update. My family is planning a vacation and I wanted to be ready for it. I just wanted to finish at least one more chapter before I left. Aside from that all I can say is please review. It would be much appreciated. Thanks for you interest.  
  
Thanks for reading!  
  
Strider Itachi 


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